COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF CLONDALKIN, NEWCASTLE, RATHCOOLE, SAGGART AND BRITTAS AREA COMMITTEE
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
QUESTION NO.17
QUESTION: Councillor William Joseph Carey
To ask the manager for an update and report on the proposal for an astro pitch to developed with Knockmitten FC.
REPLY:
The local soccer club developed a concept for a 50m x 36m Astro pitch and submitted the estimates to the council for grant application based on total project costs of €168,708.
The Council’s Community Department has committed €15,000 to support the development of an All Weather Pitch by Knockmitten FC on lands in Knockmitten managed by Public Realm / EWCC. Public Realm manage such projects on behalf of clubs/Community Dept. but do not contribute financially.
Following the Part 8 approval for the project, detailed design by consultants resulted in significantly higher projected costs of €309,355.54. Public Realm subsequently carried out various value engineering exercises on this size of pitch but all options remained over the available budget for the project and so the consultants were requested to design a facility in line with money available: resulting in a proposed 30m x 15m Astro pitch with projected costs of €160,216. The various costs and funding positions of each option are set out in the table below:
|
Proposed Knockmitten Astro Pitch |
Original 2017 Club Proposal |
Revised Estimated Costs |
Cost Optimal Proposal |
|
Size |
50m x 36m Astro |
50 x 36m Astro |
30m x 15m Astro |
|
Construction Cost inc. VAT |
€141,551 |
282,355.54 |
133,214 |
|
Extras (Consultants/ESB) |
€27,000 |
€27,000 |
€27,000 |
|
Total Cost |
€168,551 |
€309,355.54 |
€160,216 |
|
Funding: |
|
|
|
|
Sports Capital Grant |
137,708 |
137,708 |
137,708 |
|
Club Funding |
15,000 |
15,000 |
7,508 |
|
Community Dept. Funding |
15,000 |
15,000 |
15,000 |
|
Total Funds: |
€167,708 |
€167,708 |
€160,216 |
|
Net Position: |
-€843 Deficit |
-€141,648 Deficit |
Balance |
|
|
|
|
|
When presented with the above analysis, the club restated their desire to retain the original proposed pitch size, and suggested that the Council apply for a new sports capital grant or that the Club/Council provide increased funding for the project. Save for annual Community Grants there is no other discretionary funding available to the Council for this project.
The advice from the Department’s Sports Capital Grant Section on the feasibility of a new application was that the grant already awarded to the Council for this proposed project is at the very higher end of the scale of grants (Max grant €150K) and that additional grant funding for this project would be very unlikely (due to greater demand for grants, previous funding award not utilised, overall funding levels available, reduced percentage funding available for projects etc.). They have also strongly advised that the project should be scaled back to the level of available funding and for it to proceed as soon as possible.
The Council’s recommendation to date is that the project proceed as per the cost optimal proposal in line with the existing funding available and the recommendation from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, having regard for the following:
- the significant shortfall in funding in the sum of €141,647 and the lack of available funding to bridge the funding gap
- the inability of the club to confirm what additional funding they can provide
- the already significant contribution committed by the Community Department
- the need to move forward in terms of the ongoing demands on Public Realm staff time and expertise on the project.
In recent times the club has requested an updated cost estimate on their original proposal and this will be carried out shortly, once the current tender for contractors is completed.